Federal Policy Update

Week of January 8, 2026

As the federal policy landscape evolves in 2026, APA and APA Services have resumed weekly updates and continue to share timely resources through the APA Response Center. Recent congressional activity includes House passage of three targeted government funding bills that would fund several federal agencies, including Energy, Commerce, Interior, Justice, and federal science programs, through the end of the fiscal year ahead of a January 30 funding deadline. Importantly for psychology, these bills preserve funding for research programs and indirect research costs and largely reject proposed White House cuts. While Senate passage is uncertain, APA Services continues to advocate for strong and stable funding for programs essential to psychology.

The House also voted to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies for three years with bipartisan support, though the bill is unlikely to advance in the Senate. APA Services has previously mobilized psychologists around ACA subsidies and telehealth flexibilities and will continue advocacy efforts focused on access to care.

In additional policy activity, APA Services submitted formal comments opposing proposed Department of Homeland Security changes to the public charge rule, citing concerns about reduced access to public benefits and negative mental health impacts on immigrant communities. APA advocacy staff also engaged with Senate leadership on protecting animal research and participated in CES 2026 to promote the ethical, evidence-based integration of behavioral science into digital health and artificial intelligence, emphasizing that these tools should support, not replace, the psychology workforce.

CPA will continue to share weekly summaries of federal policy updates from APA. Members who would like more detailed information are encouraged to subscribe to APA’s free Practice Update and Washington Update newsletters.